think we're right back-- it's the point you were just raising, the second term--johnboehnercanturn around-- they man a bit chastened right now, but 235 house republicans were also re-elected, so i don't know why the-- why the washington environment is a whole lot different. >> the other thing the president said was i'm not up for reelection again. so they look ahead, they see 2010 and think if taxes do go up for the middle class, it will be john boehner, and the republicans to take the blame. >> well, that may be but who is it going to play that kind of bluffing game with the debt ceiling because that's when you really risk tremendous market reactions and peril. i know you talked about david petraeus, and the whole foreign policy issue last night on charlie, martha, but do you-- let me ask you again, do you take seriously the notion that john kerry could be defense secretary? >> i think that was a trial balloon. >> you do? >> i 19, clearly both of those stories were trial balloons. president obama, obviously, took it a little further, quite a bit further today talking about susan r